House at 115 Central Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in 1890 on a sloping, wooded lot along Central Avenue in Sea Cliff, this eighteen-room house began as a residence and boarding house during the village's peak as a seaside summer resort. Local builder Oliver Combs constructed it; the architect is unknown. The building rises two and one-half stories above a raised basement, with a three and one-half story central tower under a polygonal roof and a slate hipped roof with gable and jerkin-head dormers. Scrollsawn brackets, curvilinear bargeboards, finials, lattice-work and a mix of shingle, clapboard and board-and-batten siding give it high quality Stick style character. Inside, period wallpaper, marble fireplaces, panelled woodwork and gaslight fixtures survive. Few alterations have been made. It is considered one of the most stylish houses in Sea Cliff and one of the few remaining boarding houses recalling the village's resort era.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be one of the most distinguished examples of Sea Cliff's late nineteenth century summer resort architecture. It was one of many boarding houses serving the village's growing summer population and is one of the few that still recall that use. It keeps a high level of integrity and shows high quality Stick style ornament.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88000014, listed February 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 115 Central Ave., Sea Cliff |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | February 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000014 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder Oliver Combs |
| Architectural style | Stick style |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is given as excellent, with virtually no interior or exterior alterations; it is currently used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.84718, -73.64772 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88000014.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5913886
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.